


I Will Choose You

by facepalm918



Category: Original Work, Original- freeform
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Romance, Understanding Love, all of this is mine, life can be tough, valentines day
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 23:24:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17755481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/facepalm918/pseuds/facepalm918
Summary: Hey guys!With Valentines day coming up I decided to share a bit from a story I've been working on. It's an original work and not a fan fic, though if you've read any of my Bellarke fanfics you may find that you enjoy this story ;) Enjoy ya'll!





	I Will Choose You

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> With Valentines day coming up I decided to share a bit from a story I've been working on. It's an original work and not a fan fic, though if you've read any of my Bellarke fanfics you may find that you enjoy this story ;) Enjoy ya'll!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gemma Duran wasn't really sure what she expected when she moved to the small historic business square in Hollowell Maine. But, she definitely wasn't prepared to have a grumpy and argumentative Scottish man as her neighbor.  
> Despite their original rocky meeting maybe these two will find a way to put their differences aside long enough to realize they actually work pretty well together.
> 
> ( And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you write the world's cheesiest romance novel summary.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Valentines Day is upon us I thought I'd post a few chapters from a story I have been working on. It is not a fanfic but if you've read any of my Bellarke stuff then I'm fairly certain you'll find this story entertaining :)  
> Now, since this is an original work I simply ask that no one steals anything from it. These characters are completely my own as well as the story. Thanks!  
> Enjoy!

Chapter 1

  Gemma Duran looked around at the large stack of boxes that took up the far wall of her small room. With all of the boxes it was hard to tell if she would actually be able to fit any other furniture into the space now that her queen sized bed was fully assembled. She shook her head and decided it was something she could worry about tomorrow after she had a few long hours of sleep. She ripped open a few of the smaller boxes until she found the one she was looking for. She pulled out the nicely folded sheet and comforter and then the crumpled up fitted sheet that she had literally just thrown into the box without even trying to fold it. She made her bed and then headed for the bathroom across the hall to brush her teeth and finish getting ready. It was her first night in her new apartment and she felt a mixture of excitement and dread. She had never lived completely on her own before and the fact that the square where her apartment was located would soon be empty of all of its occupants she realized she wasn’t sure it was the wisest thing to live in one of the only apartments in the old historic shopping district in the tiny town in Maine.

  Maine, the setting of far too many of Stephen King’s creepy novels. Gemma shook her head as she finished fluffing her pillow and tried to forget that little bit of trivia. She flopped onto her bed in pure exhaustion and pulled the covers up under her chin. She listened to the music that drifted through the thin old walls of her room and hoped it would quiet down soon.

   Nearly five hours later Gemma laid wide awake and stared at her ceiling with contempt. It wasn’t that she hadn’t expected the loud thumping beat of the music or the sounds of people laughing and talking in the bar just below her apartment, but she hadn’t expected it to keep going until four in the morning. How on earth would she ever get any sleep in this place? At this rate she wondered if she might as well learn to sleep all day and work at night.

  “Because the world needs an all night bakery.” She grumbled sarcastically to herself before she shoved her pillow over her head for the fifth time that night. The sound machine next to her bed droned on with a white noise that barely registered over the loud music. She had purchased the ridiculous gadget in anticipation for the noise. It had unfortunately done little more than add to the annoying fact that she wouldn’t be able to sleep.

  She threw the pillow off of herself and sat up to turn on the small lamp that sat on the cardboard box next to her mattress. “Earplugs” She wrote down onto the ever growing list of things she needed for her new home.

 

 

   “Last call.” Cal Stewart mumbled with a start. He blinked his eyes open and ran a hand down his face. After a few moments he sat up and looked around the small dimly lit room of his apartment as the fuzzy feeling of confusion and sleep still teased at the edges of his brain. The very real dream that he had been having about still tending the bar downstairs did very little to help him relax and feel rested. He very rarely had trouble sleeping late into the morning after a long shift at the bar but something about this morning was different. He sat on his bed and tried to put his finger on just what it was.

   “Where is that music coming from?” He grumbled as he threw back his bed covers. He tugged on a pair of joggers that laid crumpled on the floor along with a shirt and headed for his bedroom door. The music sounded like it was downstairs but he could have sworn he had turned everything off at the end of the night once he had finally shut his business down. Maybe he had been so bleary eyed and exhausted that he had managed to forget to turn the blasted stereo off? He padded through his apartment in his bare feet and swung the door open to stand at the top of the steps and listened. The music definitely came from the lower level but it still sounded too muted and distant for it to be coming from the bar. He jogged down the stairs and walked through his back office until he came into the main room of the small dark bar. All of the stools and chairs were up off the floor and every last light had been turned off just like he thought. He had done everything as usual at closing.

   No, the music definitely wasn’t coming from his business. He stood still and continued to listen. He turned his head to the right and noticed the booming and thumping of the music continued to get just a hair louder as he inched closer to the wall that separated the bar from the empty rooms next door.

  “Who the heck blasts music at 7 AM on a Saturday?” He groaned as he strode to the front door.

   He beat on the glass door for the third time and cupped his hands around his eyes as he leaned into look through to the small vacant building that shared a wall with his bar. He noticed the random odds and ends that littered the floor which hadn’t been there in days past. A small table sat in one of the corners while a few chairs and boxes cluttered the floor. It appeared that someone had finally begun renting out the small space, but they hadn’t done much to it yet. He sighed and ran his hand through his thick curls that stuck up towards the back of his head from when he had been blissfully alseep. He looked behind himself and saw a few early morning shoppers looking at him with amused grins. He returned the smiles with embarrassment as he realized he had been walking around without any shoes on and it was nearing winter.

  “Mornin’ mum.” He nodded at the nearest woman who let a small laugh escape her mouth as she nodded in turn. He watched the woman and her friend walk away before he backed up towards the corner of the building and dashed down the narrow alley way to the back of the old buildings. Once he rounded the back corner the music instantly became louder as he drew nearer to the back door which stood slightly ajar. He didn’t waste anytime but knocked with persistence until he heard a distant voice curse.

   “Oh crud!” He heard the feminine voice yell again from behind the door. “Hold on!” She then yelled to him.

  He continued to hear random grumblings and shouts along with loud thumps and a final crash which forced his feet forward before he realized what he was doing. He pushed the door to open it but was met with resistance. After a few more pushes the door finally budged but not without another loud thud. He slowly pushed his way into the room and discovered that the back room was a small kitchen that looked as though a bomb had gone off. He took in the ancient appliances that stood randomly throughout the small room and an old microwave that appeared to have fallen off the large cardboard box that had been shoved up against the door he had just forced open. But despite all the chaos on the floor the thing that stood out the most was the woman that stood in the middle of it all on a step ladder. She was carefully balancing on the ladder while she held onto a large glass light fixture that dangled by a chain in her hands.

  “I wouldn’t walk in here without shoes on.” She called over to him and he looked down to reaffirm that he was indeed still walking around without shoes on. He took a few careful steps forward before he came to the first few large shards of glass that had broken off of the light fixture when it had swung down and hit the step ladder. He looked around at the huge mess and suppressed a cynical grin as much as he could. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at his new neighbor.

   “Music’s a bit loud don’t ye think?” He drawled in his heavy Scottish accent.

  “Huh?” The woman gave him a quick glance before she ultimately gave up and dropped the light fixture the last couple of feet to the ground. She backed her way down the rungs of the ladder and then jumped to the ground with a groan. “That definitely could have gone better.” She worried her lip and then turned to look at the man that continued to give her confusingly frustrated glare. “Did you say something about my music?” She directed at him.

  “It’s too loud.” He stated.

  “This is a downtown shopping square. Why would I need to be quiet?” She asked, her face still a mask of confusion.

  “Because I live just up there.” He pointed up and to the left. “And I’d really like to get some more sleep if it’s all the same to ye.” He yawned as though to confirm that he really was very tired.

  “You live above the bar?” She asked.

  “And own it. Could ye just turn down the music?” His patience was really running thin and all he wanted to do was go back to his bed and sleep until lunch. The woman gave him an obnoxious smile but turned to walk towards the radio that she had sitting on one of the small dust covered counter tops.

  “So you can keep me up all night with your loud music but heaven forbid I play music during normal waking hours?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

  “Oh I’m sorry. Did ye not see the word ‘bar’ above the door before ye moved in then?” He shot back at her before he turned to leave. “By the way, ye should probably turn off the electrical before ye mess with the light fixtures. That’s a good way to start a fire or kill yerself.” He slammed the door behind himself and walked over to his back door only to realize it was still locked from the night before. He huffed in annoyance and sauntered back around the building to get to his front door.

 

   Gemma bristled as the glass in the old back door shook after the rude man had slammed it. What a great welcome to the neighborhood. She had had no idea anyone else lived in the apartments above the store fronts in the old town square. Her landlord had told her most of the rooms on the upper levels were used for storage or other businesses. He had somehow forgotten to mention that the owner of the bar directly next door also lived above it.

  “Maybe moving here was a huge mistake.” She mumbled to herself for what felt like the hundredth time since she first arrived. She looked around at the glass that littered her floor and sighed. Everything was working out just great.

 

Chapter 2

“You look like crap.” The door to the bar slammed shut with a thud and Cal glanced up to see who had walked in before he looked back down at the screen of his laptop.

“Get out, Marks.” Cal continued to work on his laptop at the bar but pointed in the general direction of the door. His growl was met with a laugh and Jake Marks continued towards the bar despite his boss’ threatening tone.

“I’m just saying, the bar is a young man's game. And you’re really not getting any younger.”

“I’m twenty-nine, Jake.” He chuckled and leaned back in his chair so that he could cross his arms. “Don’t start digging a grave just yet.” He reached a hand up to scratch at his beard and then eased forward again to go over the figures in front of him.

“So, why do you look like death?” Jake asked as he walked further behind the bar and disappeared into the back office.

Cal sighed and slammed his laptop shut after he concluded that the chatty man wasn't going to let him get anymore work done that afternoon.

“That would be because of our new neighbor.” He grumbled as he walked to the back room to help Jake bring up new inventory. “They had their music blaring at the crack of dawn this mornin.”

“Still think having an apartment above your business is the best thing that could have ever happened to you?” His friend smirked and the two men walked to the bar with their arms full of boxes.

“Rents cheap.” Cal smiled with a shrug.

“So what’s going in next door?”

“Haven’t a clue. The moron has the place torn apart and when I first walked in the light fixture in the kitchen was dangling in the air with glass all over the floor.” He shook his head at the memory. “I’ll give ‘em a month.” He added as he worked to put away clean glasses.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll last longer than that.” Both men’s heads snapped up to find their new neighbor striding towards them. “Hope you don’t mind me letting myself in. The door was unlocked.” Cal turned to Jake and gave him a look that told him that he was going to die.

“Well I’m sure Cal’s new found charm and pleasant demeanor will convince you to stick around.” Jake mocked and turned back to his boss. “Seriously, you’re such a grump.”

“People always wonder why I keep you around. Now I see what they’re talking about.” Cal mumbled which caused Jake to burst out into a loud laugh.

“I’m Jake Marks.” Jake finally said and extended a hand towards the woman that watched them from the other side of the bar.

“Gemma Duran.” She returned and shook his hand.

“Like with a J or a G?” Jake asked.

“Uh, a G?” Gemma responded thrown by the question.

“Weird.” Jake said as he turned to walk around the bar and out onto the floor of the large front room and so that he could begin taking down chairs.

“He’s almost as pleasant as you.” She said to Cal with a stiff smile before she sat down at the bar.

“We’re not actually open yet.” Cal said as he picked up a glass from the tray on the counter and bent down to replace it under the bar before he picked up another one.

“I figured.” She rolled her eyes and leaned her chin onto the palm of her hand. “I was actually wondering if you by chance know where the main water valve to my kitchen is? I need to turn it off before I tear out the sink but I can’t locate it.”

“It’s in my back room.” Cal hiked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the area. “I think at one point our places were one large space. The water valve is back there and so is the breaker box. But it will turn off my water too. How long you think you’ll be?”

“An hour?” Gemma responded and looked down at her watch. She looked back up at the man and took in his startling bright blue eyes that seemed so out of place on the face that was set in a stony scowl. He looked back down at the glass in his hand and let out a sigh before he set it down.

“Come on.” He said and headed towards the back of the bar. Gemma jumped down from the stool and followed the surly man. She stared at his wide muscular back all the way down to his narrow hips. His fitted blue t-shirt revealed strong looking arms and if Gemma hadn’t been annoyed by the man’s negative attitude she may have realized she found his physique very attractive. They walked through what appeared to be an office where a large wooden desk took up the middle of the floor and along the walls there were shelves filled with glasses, napkins, and boxes filled with what looked like glass bottles of liquor. Gemma stopped to take a better look at the desk. The old piece of furniture was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was beautifully carved in places with intricate detail and it looked like something from another time period.

“Where’d I lose you?” She tore her eyes from the desk and looked up at Cal who had walked back towards her when he realized she was no longer following him.

“This is gorgeous.” She whispered as she ran her hand over the intricate carvings.

“Thanks.” He said a bit caught off guard.

“Where on earth did you find it?” She moved around to take it all in.

“Back home.” He shrugged. “Valves back here.” He turned and headed back towards what Gemma assumed was the back room. She sighed and followed him.

He showed her where the shut off valve was and escorted her out the back door with directions to just let herself back in and turn it back on when she was done.

 

“Seriously, I have never seen you so pissed off before.” Jake jumped up to sit on the bar and watched as Cal set about to restock the liquor shelf and small fridges that lined the back wall.

“I got maybe three hours of sleep. What do you expect?”

“You made an awesome first impression with the hot chick next door by the way.” Jake continued, “Think that will ruin my chances with her?” He grinned.

Cal stopped as a fit of laughter over took him, “If your track record is any indication you’ll screw that up well enough on your own.” He finally breathed.

“Real nice.” Jake jumped off the counter and headed for the door. “I’m outta here.”

“What? I’m not wrong.” Cal claimed from the floor as he knelt in front of the middle fridge. “Remember that time a girl gave you her number and you asked her if she always wore, and I quote, ‘old hag glasses?’” Cal laughed again at the memory of the girl smacking Jake across the face, “You… Jake?” Cal stood up and looked over the bar to see that the room was empty. “Oh just flippin’ great.” He muttered to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always welcome! Especially since this is an original work :)
> 
> Happy Valentines day!


End file.
